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Hey all. I am new to the boards. I recently acquired two baby RES turtles both measuring about 1.5" in shell length. my tank isn't fully set up yet as I just started it today. They are in a 10 gallon tank with the water level filled about 4-5 inches. The temp of the water is at 71 farenheit. I know that the temp needs to be raised. The basking area is only a few degrees warmer because I haven't gotten a UVB bulb yet. My problem is that I came home from work and one of the turtles was in the basking area in the corner of the tank curled up with his eyes closed. My immediate thought was that he was dead. I poked him and I got no movement. After about 5 minutes, he started digging through the rocks back down towards the water (the basking area was a stone platform). Within a half hour he was back swimming again. I am not sure if I should be worried or if he was just sleeping? I realize that soon I will need a bigger tank and the temp of the water needs to be raised. I am getting a heater tomorrow..as well as a UVB light. Is this normal behavior for the turtle or could he be sick already? I hope he was just sleeping and this behavior is normal.

Legs in or out? Legs out is probably a good thing. Poking him and getting no reaction is a bad thing.
UVB bulbs do NOT make heat. Regular light bulbs make heat. You should be able to get your basking temp up a good deal more. Do you have a thermometer?
Get a bigger tank as soon as you can and add more water.

Thanks for your quick reply.I am using regular bulbs for heat right now. when I found the turtle with its eyes closed the legs were in. I am hoping it was just sleeping. Right now the temp is 71 degrees. I know the temp needs to be higher. Lastly, how full should the water be on a 10 gallon tank?

If you are already using a regular bulb for hear, even without a UVB, then it's likely that the turtle would bask. And there have been a few times that my turtles have basked with their legs pulled in, although usually they are all stuck out.

The goal for water level is to fill it as high as you can without the possibility of escape over the edge. You can always put a lid on the container, but UVB will be filtered out if you use glass or wire less than 1/2 an inch.

What kind of basking area do you have? You mentioned a stone platform and digging in the rocks. First off, make sure that any rocks are larger than your turts heads. They like to eat gravel and it can become impacted. Also, in regards to the basking area. Most people use floating basking areas so that the turtles have maximum swimming space in the tank. Make sure that your basking area is easy for them to get on to.

The stones I am using are larger than what they could eat. He seems fine now when I woke up this morning. He was swimming around and looked healthy. I'm headed to the pet store this morning to get a better lighting setup. I am also going to take your advice and raise the water level to about halfway this time since 5 inches seems low you said. Thank you for your help!

u guys sounds so professional. I really love turtles and would love to raise a few. But due my current condition limitation, i cannot afford to have them yet. But i swear will raise some in my future.

As a teacher, it's my job to be professional

The downfall of the job is sometimes treating others like they can't do some things on their own and treating them like kids, lol.

Raise the water temp to around 78F and the basking area to 88-90F. That should make a difference. They stretch their legs out to get the heat.

You will also need a fully submersible water heater. They have thermostats built-in. If you are picking up a few other things, check to see if the petstore has a website (or corporate site) or if they are willing to match prices from other stores. It would help you save a bit.

It's important to have a proper setup right away because most illnesses are preventable. Keep an eye on them because some illnesses do not appear right away.